New Safe Harbor Bills Filed for 2023-2024 Legislative Session

New Safe Harbor Bills Filed for 2023-2024 Legislative Session

It’s a victory for those of us wishing to keep health freedom strong in Massachusetts, offering the widest variety of healthcare choice by protecting unlicensed holistic practitioners and our right to access them.

Both HD.953 and SD.1365 — An Act providing for consumer access to and the right to practice complementary and alternative health care services — have been filed for the new legislative session, and are again on their way to gaining attention, support and ultimately passage!

HD.953 was filed by Rep Brian W. Murphy, and SD.1365 was once again filed by Sen. Nick Collins. Thank you to these legislative leaders on this cause.

WE NEED YOUR HELP IN GATHERING CO-SPONSORS FOR THIS BILL.

Please contact your Representative and Senator TODAY and personally ask for their co-sponsorship. (See sample below)

Hearing from voters is powerful in helping legislation gain traction. A personal letter of phone call is best, but email works just as well. Continued interest on your part in passage of this bill is crucial. Find your legislator here:

https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator

With our committee down to just four members, we need your help more than ever!

Please let us know if you can help our members on team meetings in person and online to advocate for and educate legislators about our bill. Email: healthfreedomma@gmail.com.

Thank you!

Sample Email or Phone Script

Dear Sen/Rep     ,

I am contacting you in a request for signing on as a co-sponsor to HD.953 and SD.1365 — An Act providing for consumer access to and the right to practice complementary and alternative health care services.

Healthcare freedom and choice is very important to me. This bill will protect the thousands of unlicensed healthcare practitioners whose services have become essential to the continued wellbeing of millions of Baystate residents who rely on and enjoy easy, affordable access to the services of these unlicensed practitioners. This safe harbor bill gives them the legal protection to continue providing their healthcare services in Massachusetts.

Please let me know if I can have members of Health Freedom Action Massachusetts contact you further with details about the bill to help you with your decision. Thank you.

Sincerely,

 

Safe Harbor Bill Extension Status Update

H.2343/S.1380, An Act Providing for Consumer Access to and the Right to Practice Complementary and Alternative Health Care Services.

HFAMA has been informed by Senator Jo Comerford’s office, Chair for the Joint Committee on Public Health, that our Safe Harbor bill, along with over 125 others, has been “formally extended to the end of the year.”

This extension is a departure from previous Statehouse norms of moving all current session bills out of Committee before summer’s end.

More specific details about the extension are not available at this time.

Our goal is to move our bill out of the Public Health Committee as quickly as possible, and onto its next destination to ensure passage this session.

The Chair’s office has advised us to continue our advocacy and education, as this is the best way to generate visibility and support for the bill.

Send an email today to your legislators and members of the Public Health Committee asking them to move S.1380/H.2343 to passage. Let’s get Safe Harbor for alternative health practitioners established in Massachusetts now!

Share on Facebook

Our Bill is Heard by the Joint Committee on Public Health

State House

On October 15, the public hearing took place virtually for our bill, H.2343/S.1380, An Act Providing for Consumer Access to and the Right to Practice Complementary and Alternative Health Care Services.

With only 72 hours advance notice of the hearing, the bill garnered incredible support from the holistic health community. Qigong Master and State Representative Don Wong was the first to publicly support the bill.  He was followed by 11 other individuals who provided strong personal testimony on why it is important – and necessary – to pass this bill.  We believe dozens more added their voices to support the bill through written testimony. No one spoke in opposition to the bill.

We now look forward to hearing that the bill has been passed favorably out of committee when we can begin the next steps towards the bill’s passage.

Public Hearing Scheduled Your Testimony Needed!

Public Hearing Scheduled October 15, 2021

Your Testimony Needed!

The public hearing for H.2343/S.1380, An Act Providing for Consumer Access to and the Right to Practice Complementary and Alternative Health Care Services has been scheduled for Friday, October 15, 2021.

We urgently need you to support this bill NOW by providing your testimony — both written and virtual — to pass this legislation and protect your access to the same quality and quantity of alternative health care you enjoy today!

You must register by Wednesday, October 13 if you wish to testify in-person at the virtual hearing.

Here are simple action steps that you can take to support this bill now:

  1. Click on this link to voice your support for the bill with your legislators and with the Joint Committee on Public Health SUPPORT SAFE HARBOR 
    https://nationalhealthfreedomaction.salsalabs.org/supportmapractitionerexemptionbill
  2. Register to testify via Zoom this Friday using the instructions below
  3. Grant your permission to re-use testimony you prepared in 2019 to support this bill by contacting Carol Bedrosian at carol@spiritofchange.org
  4. Provide written Testimony completing this form: https://forms.gle/7Q79AZKzSCmfoPMP9 or by emailing the committee at by emailing: JointCommittee.PublicHealth@malegislature.gov. Be sure to include your name and address; include “Testimony in Support of H.2343/S.1380“
  5. Spread the work via email and social media to provide testimony and support this bill.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROVIDING TESTIMONY

Here are the State House instructions for providing that testimony now.

The Joint Committee on Public Health will conduct a virtual public hearing on Friday, October 15, 2021 beginning at 10:00 a.m. on bills relating to Professional Licensure and Scope of Practice; and Agencies.

Individuals testifying should limit their remarks to 3 minutes. All panels should limit their testimony to a total of 6 minutes.

Persons who wish to testify, submit written testimony, or both, may sign up and/or submit written testimony by completing this form: https://forms.gle/7Q79AZKzSCmfoPMP9

Persons who do not have a Google account or do not wish to use the Google form can submit testimony and/or sign up to testify by emailing:  JointCommittee.PublicHealth@malegislature.gov

For those who have signed up to testify, Legislative Information Services will provide a link to join the public hearing.  Persons planning to testify must sign up no later than 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 13, 2021.  Those who plan to submit only written testimony may do so before or after the sign-up deadline.

Those who do not plan to testify but want to watch the public hearing may view the live stream under the Hearings & Events section of the legislative website.

If you have any questions, you may email: Kathleen.Hornby@mahouse.gov and Brian.Rosman@masenate.gov

 

SAMPLE TALKING POINTS FOR YOUR TESTIMONY

  1. The practice of complementary and alternative health care is not a protected right in Massachusetts.
  2. This bill will affect over 100 unlicensed holistic healing modalities that require the protection of a practitioner exemption law to avoid potential charges of practicing medicine without a license. There is no risk of harm to the public from these healing modalities, and therefore no reason for them to become licensed, yet they should have the protection that H.2343/S.1380 “The Massachusetts Consumer Access and Right to Practice Complementary and Alternative Health Care Act” provides.
  3. Holistic health practices may be interpreted as the provision of health care service only a licensed professional may perform. This could subject practitioners to fine, penalties and restrictions, despite their methods not posing an imminent risk of harm to the public’s safety.
  4. If passed, Massachusetts would join 11 other states in protecting the thousands of complementary and alternative practitioners such as herbalists, homeopaths, traditional naturopaths, Ayurveda practitioners, energy healers, wellness consultants, and many others who are practicing in Massachusetts.
  5. This bill will protect and encourage compliant holistic health practitioners to provide services in Massachusetts, give consumers greater choice and education about their professionals, and provide the state with oversight and public protection through the establishment of prohibited acts in the bill.

Holistic Practitioner Protection Bill assigned to Committee on Public Health

An Act Providing for Consumer Access to and the Right to Practice Complementary and Alternative Health Care Services has been assigned to the Joint Committee on Public Health for review.

Now known as S.1380 with a total of 13 sponsors in the Senate, and H.2343 with 22 sponsors in the House,

Seven of the Seventeen members of the Joint Committee are co-sponsors on the bill.

Next Steps – Educate and Prepare

Our next steps include educating members of the Joint Committee on Public Health about the compelling need for this legislation and preparing for the public hearing.

Our team of volunteers continues to schedule meetings with key legislators to help them to understand the bill and to address any questions they might have.  You can assist in these efforts:

How you Can Help

  • Contact Committee Members in support of this legislation.  A person-to-person contact such as a letter or phone call makes a more powerful impression. You may find yourself speaking with an aide, this is very effective. Find committee members’ contact information here:  https://malegislature.gov/Committees/Detail/J16
  • Continue to Contact your Senator and Representative to register your support for this legislation.  A personal letter or phone call is always best. If you have already contacted them use the committee assignment as a chance to check in with them a second time. Continued interest on your part is a powerful influence.  Find your legislator here:  https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator
  • Pressed for time?  If you don’t have time for that personal contact, please click here and you will be directed to an automated letter that will be generated on your behalf.

Expand our Efforts – Join our Mailing List

Help us Grow Support

As we continue to educate legislators about this act, we need the ability to reach out to supporters, like you, by legislative district.  Sharing your mailing address allows us to notify you and request your support in targeted meetings with your senators and representatives.

You can share your address by clicking this link:
Sign Me Up!

Holistic Practitioner Protection Bill Gaining Sponsors and Traction!

Holistic Practitioner Protection Bill Gaining Sponsors and Traction!

Our bill, An Act Providing for Consumer Access to and the Right to Practice Complementary and Alternative Health Care Services, has been filed in both the House and Senate.

Known as SD.1085 in the Senate and HD.1169 in the House, the legislation continues to garner support in both chambers. In addition to co-sponsors from the last legislative session we have a attracted a number of new ones.

John J. Lawn Jr refiled our bill in the House and is supported to date by Brian Ashe, John Barrett III, Christina Minicucci, Kay Khan, Bradford Hill, Christopher Hendricks, Brian Murray, Jack Patrick Lewis, Edward Coppinger, Patrick O’Connor, Natalie Higgins, Michael Moran, Joseph McGonagle, Jr., Jacob Oliveira and Jason Lewis.

On the Senate side, Nick Collins refiled our bill and is joined by co-sponsors Bradford Hill, Christopher Hendricks, John Barrett III, Joanne Comerford, Jack Patrick Lewis, Patrick O’ Connor, Brendan Crighton, Jason Lewis and Christina Minicucci.
 
Is your lawmaker supporting Health Freedom?

Senators and Representatives may continue to add their endorsement until the bills are reported out of committee.

If you don’t see your legislators listed above, please phone or email them and encourage them to co-sponsor this important act to ensure your continued ability to practice and access alternative health care modalities. Please ask both your senator and your representative to support this bill by calling or emailing today.  To generate an automatic letter requesting that your legislators support this bill, CLICK HERE 

 
Your Voice Counts

Hearing from voters is powerful in helping legislation gain traction.  As we put plans in place to educate legislators about this act, we need the ability to reach out to supporters, like you, by legislative district.  Sharing your mailing address allows us to notify you and request your support in targeted meetings with your senators and representatives.  You can share your address by clicking THIS LINK

 

 

 

 

Onward Towards the Goal

Onward Towards the Goal

So much has changed with the global pandemic but our commitment to health freedom has not.  2019 and 2020 brought us encouragement that the Massachusetts state legislature stood with us as we filed bills in the House and Senate, secured bi-partisan co-sponsors for each bill and enjoyed strong support at the public hearing of the bill.

The bill, S.665/H.3660, The Massachusetts Consumer Access and Right to Practice Complementary and Alternative Health Care Act enables complementary and alternative healthcare practitioners to continue providing services without restriction, provided they abide by defined prohibited acts and mandatory disclosures.

The bill was passed favorably out of the Joint Committee on Public Health and moved to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means – the last set before proceeding to the General Assembly for a vote – a just as COVID-19 shut down normal business operations.

With the State House taking up a burgeoning list of urgent needs related to the pandemic, this legislation was moved aside and was not addressed before the end of the legislative session.

Now, the bill has been filed again as SD.1085/ HD.1169 and will soon be filed in the Senate as well.  We look forward to making this act a reality in this legislative session.  Your continued support is important to us as move onward towards our goal to ensure that Massachusetts consumers are guaranteed their right to access and practice complementary and alternative healthcare services.

We’re In the Final Stretch! Please Help!

We’re In the Final Stretch! Please Help!

S.2634 Safe Harbor Bill protecting holistic practitioners from potential charges of practicing medicine without a license, still sits in the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, awaiting a favorable release out of the Committee and onto the Senate floor for a vote.

Bill co-sponsor Senator Nick Collins has submitted a letter to urge Committee Chair Senator Rodrigues to take action now.

We are now asking for your help in contacting Senate Leadership to assure their support. Please contact Senate President Spilka at (617) 722-1500 or Karen.Spilka@masenate.gov, and Senate Majority leader Cynthia Creem at (617) 722-1639 or Cynthia.Creem@masenate.gov and ask that they bring S.2634 to the floor for a vote today.

Thank you!

HFAMA Committee

We’re In the Final Stretch! Please Help!

We’re In the Final Stretch! Please Help!

S.2634 Safe Harbor Bill protecting holistic practitioners from potential charges of practicing medicine without a license, still sits in the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, awaiting a favorable release out of the Committee and onto the Senate floor for a vote.

Bill co-sponsor Senator Nick Collins has submitted the letter below to urge Committee Chair Senator Rodrigues to take action now.

Please contact Chair Rodrigues now by phone (617) 722-1114 or email Michael.Rodrigues@masenate.gov to aid in this effort in the last stretch of the extended legislative session.

Thank you!

HFAMA Committee

Our Bill Passed the Public Health Committee and Heads to the Senate Ways and Means Committee

Our Bill Passed the Public Health Committee and
Heads to the Senate Ways and Means Committee
Now It’s Time to Send it to the Senate Floor!

Great News! The Massachusetts Safe Harbor Practitioner Exemption Bill, S.2634 (formerly S.665/H.3660), is one step closer to becoming law!

The Joint Committee on Public Health recently passed S.2634 out of committee and sent it to the Senate Ways and Means committee.  When it passes this committee, it heads to the Senate floor for a vote.

Our immediate task is to urge legislators to send it now to the Senate floor for a vote.  After passing the Senate, the bill will need to be voted on by the full House, before the session ends in July.  Time is of the essence!

We acknowledge legislators are tied-up handling the COVID-19 crisis and we want to be sensitive to that.  Yet, we believe S.2634 is now more important than ever given its potential to:

  • Reduce the strain on allopathic care providers and
  • Boost the economy by supporting small alternative health care businesses in Massachusetts

Help us move this bill forward by contacting your senator and letting them know that you support this bill to guarantee alternative health care practitioners in Massachusetts the freedom to practice their professions and to preserve your access to these critical health care professionals.

Even if your Senator is not on Senate Ways and Means Committee, and even if you’ve already contacted your legislators about this bill, informing them about the progress of S.2634 reminds them of your interests and encourages them to focus on this important, solution-oriented bill.

Please help get this bill the attention it deserves!  Take Action Here. 

Massachusetts is so close to becoming the 12th Safe Harbor state and we don’t want the issue to be forgotten during this time when legislators are so focused on COVID-19-specific legislation!

Together we can protect complementary and alternative health practitioners who are vulnerable to being charged criminally for practicing medicine – or other licensed health care professions – without a license. Please stand with us and contact your senator to urge their support of this important bill.

Thank you!